The Cape Sable seaside sparrow (''Ammospiza maritima mirabilis'') is a subspecies of the
seaside sparrow, a species of bird in the family
Passerellidae native to the United States. This subspecies is endemic to southern
Florida. It is designated
endangered under the
Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA or "The Act"; 16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.) is the primary law in the United States for protecting imperiled species. Designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of ec ...
.
Description
The Cape Sable seaside sparrow is 13 to 14 centimeters in length. The back is dark olive-gray and the tail and wings are olive-brown. Adults are light gray on the belly to almost white with dark olive-gray streaks on the breast and sides.
[Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow.]
In
United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Original 1999, continually updated.
Biology
This subspecies occurs in
prairie habitat, breeding in mixed
marl prairie
Marl prairies are wet prairies that allow for a slow seepage of overland water and exist in the Everglades, usually bordering deeper sloughs, and contain low-growth vegetation.
Description
Marl is loose earthy deposits mixed with clay and calcium ...
dominated by gulf hairawn muhly (''
Muhlenbergia sericea'').
[ The sparrow makes cup-shaped nests attached to vegetation a few inches above the ground.][Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow: Species Profile.]
National Park Service. A female may produce two clutches per season, and a third if conditions are favorable.[
Males are very territorial, claiming a patch of prime breeding habitat and defending it. Most vocalizations are produced by the males, which perch and call loudly to defend territory and advertise to females.][
Courtship behavior includes males chasing females and offering them food and nesting materials. Females may initiate the process by approaching males and begging. Male and female raise their clutch of young together, and may remain together for the next clutch.][
This subspecies is omnivorous, gleaning plant and animal items from the ground, including seeds, insects, and marine invertebrates.][
]
Ecology
The Cape Sable seaside sparrow lives on the prairies of the Everglades
The Everglades is a natural region of tropical climate, tropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large drainage basin within the Neotropical realm. The system begins near Orland ...
. The largest populations are in Big Cypress National Preserve and Taylor Slough in Everglades National Park. The common name of the bird refers to Cape Sable, the southernmost point of mainland Florida and part of the Everglades.[
This bird requires aquatic prairie with low water levels and open areas. Sea level rise, alterations in water flow caused by water management practices in South Florida, and natural processes such as hurricanes, have caused water level changes and flooding, reducing available habitat. Fire suppression has increased the plant density and diversity in the area, reducing the open habitat required by the sparrow. These factors contributed to its decline.][
The bird is strongly influenced by water levels. Water level rise effectively halts breeding activities, in part because nests are suspended just off the ground. Daily water level shifts even affect behavior, subduing vocalizations by territorial males.][
The bird's sensitivity to environmental conditions have earned it the nickname " Goldilocks bird", because for it to succeed, conditions must be "just right".][Braun, D. M]
The “Goldilocks” Sparrow That’s Shielding the Everglades.
''National Geographic'' 21 February 2017.
Conservation
Water levels are tightly managed in many wetland regions in South Florida, with flood gates controlling water flow in parts of the Everglades. The flood gates were opened after heavy rains in the winter of 2016, inundating areas where water levels have been relatively low for decades. Sparrows in these areas immediately lost breeding habitat. Water management officials continue to balance species conservation with the adverse effects of flooding in this region.[Staletovich, J]
''Miami Herald'' 1 April 2016.
In August 2013, Duke University scientist Stuart Pimm Stuart Leonard Pimm (born 27 February 1949) is an American-British biologist and theoretical ecologist specializing in scientific research of biodiversity and conservation biology.
Education
Pimm was born in Derbyshire, United Kingdom. He was ed ...
and the Center for Biological Diversity announced filing of a lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. At issue was the continuing release of water flooding the Cape Sable seaside sparrow's habitat. The lawsuit alleged the practice to be in violation of the Endangered Species Act.[Smith, N]
Saving the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow and restoring Everglades balance is possible after all.
''Sunshine State News'' 23 July 2016.
The bird illustrates the umbrella species concept of conservation biology
Conservation biology is the study of the conservation of nature and of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction and the erosion of biotic interactions. It is an int ...
, in that thorough protection of this taxon would require protection of a particular habitat and ecosystem, which would result in benefits for a great many other species.[
]
Gallery
CapeSableSeasideSparrow 2.jpg, In the Everglades
File:Seaside Sparrow Banding Research (2), NPSPhoto (9250338006).jpg, Individual in hand
Seaside Sparrow Banding Research (1), NPSPhoto (9247554471).jpg, Individual being banded
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2843651
Cape Sable seaside sparrow
Everglades
Native birds of the Southeastern United States
Cape Sable seaside sparrow
ESA endangered species
Taxa named by Arthur H. Howell